Natural Medicine and Health Glossary - A guide to terminology.

NATURAL MEDICINE AND HEALTH GLOSSARY "R"

Term	Synonyms	Definition
Rabies		An infectious viral disease primarily affecting animals; can be transmitted to humans through an infected animal's bite; if untreated, can result in paralysis and death.
Raceme		An inflorescence, usulally conical in outline in which the lowest flowers open first.
Rad		A unit of measure for radiation absorbed by tissues (100 rads = 1 Gray). It stands for "radiation absorbed dose."
Radial artery		One of the main arteries of the arm, running down its full length into the hand. Arteries carry blood away from the heart.
Radial keratotomy		A surgical procedure for correcting nearsightedness in which tiny cuts are made in the cornea to change its shape and focusing properties.
Radial pulse		Pulse felt at the wrist.
Radiation		A variety of types of energy, such as X-rays and ultraviolet.
Radiation fibrosis		The formation of scar tissue as a result of radiation therapy to the lung
Radiation oncologist		A doctor who specializes in using radiation to treat cancer.
Radiation physicist		A person trained to ensure that the radiation machine delivers the right amount of radiation to the treatment site.
Radiation therapist		A person with special training who runs the equipment that delivers the radiation.
Radiation therapy		The use of high energy penetrating waves to treat disease. Sources of radiation used in radiation therapy include x-ray, cobalt and radium.
Radical cystectomy		Surgery to remove the bladder as well as nearby tissues and organs.
Radical nephrectomy		Removal of the kidney and sufficient surrounding tissues to minimise the risk of local recurrence of malignancy.
Radical surgery		The treatment of disease by surgically removing all tissue that is or may be affected.
Radiculopathy		Any disease of the nerve roots; can be caused by disk prolapse, arthritis, and other problems.
Radioactive		Giving off radiation.
Radioallergosorbent test		A blood test performed to help determine the cause of an allergy by detecting the presence of antibodies to various allergens.
Radiography		The formation of images of the inside of the body using radiation projected through the body and onto film; a radiograph is also called an X-ray.
Radiologist		A physician with special training in reading diagnostic x-rays and performing specialized x-ray procedures.
Radionuclide scan		An exam that produces pictures (scans) of internal parts of the body. The patient is given an injection or swallows a small amount of radioactive material. A machine called a scanner then measures the radioactivity in certain organs.
Radionuclide ventriculography		A test used to determine the size and shape of the heart's ventricles.
Radiosensitizers		Drugs being studied to try to boost the effect of radiation therapy.
Radiotherapy		The use of electromagnetic or particulate radiation in the treatment of disease. See : radiation therapy.
Radius		Smaller of the two bones in lower arm.
Radon		A radioactive gas that is a byproduct of disintegrating radium.
Rales		Abnormal breathing sounds, sometimes indicating fluid in the air sacs of the lung.
Randomized clinical trials		A study in which patients with similar traits, such as extent of disease, are chosen or selected by chance to be placed in separate groups that are comparing different treatments. Because irrelevant factors or preferences do not influence the distribution of patients, the treatment groups can be considered comparable and results of the different treatments used in different groups can be compared. (There is no way at the time for the researchers to know which of the treatments is best.) See Clinical Trials (It is the patient's choice to be in a randomized trial or not.).
Rash		Eruption on the skin.
Raynaud's disease		A condition in which the fingers and toes become pale when exposed to cold or emotional stress, owing to sudden narrowing of the arteries that supply them with blood.
Raynaud's phenomenon		Changes in skin color due to spasm of small blood vessels especially with exposure to cold.
RDA	Recommended Dietary Allowance	In the United States, the amount of an essential nutrient that is recommended on a daily basis to maintain health in various age groups and categories, as determined by a board of nutrition experts; used in labeling of foods.
Reagents		Strips or tablets that people use to test the level of glucose (sugar) in their blood and urine or the level of acetone in their urine. These reagents are treated with chemicals that change color during the test. Each type of reagent has its own color code to show how much glucose or acetone there is at the time of the test.
Rebound (diabetes)		A sudden swing from a low blood glucose level to a high one.
Rebound (tenderness)		Pain occuring when the examiner suddenly releases pressure of the examining hand, allowing locally inflamed tissues to return suddenly to their normal position.
Receptacle		The upper part of the stem from which the floral parts arise.
Receptor		A nerve cell that responds to a stimulus and produces a nerve impulse; also refers to the area on the surface of a cell that a chemical must bind to in order to have its effect.
Recessive		A mode of inheritance in which a gene must be present from both parents for the trait to become manifest in an offspring. See Dominant.
Reconstructive surgery		The surgery to rebuild part of the body that has been damaged or defective from birth.
Rectification		The process of redistillation applied to essential oils to rid them of certain constituents.
Rectal prolapse		A bulging of the lining of the rectum through the anus, usually due to straining during a bowel movement.
Rectum		The lowest portion of the large intestine.
Recurrence		Reappearance of cancer at the same site (local recurrence), near the original site (regional recurrence), or in other areas of the body (metastasis).
Red blood cell		A hemoglobin-containing blood cell, red blood cells (RBC) carry oxygen in the blood, and supply oxygen from the lungs to tissues throughout the body.. They are also called red corpuscles.
Redivac		A device for continuously draining fluid via a tube (catheter) from body cavities.
Reduction of fracture		The realignment of the broken ends of a bone.
Reed-Sternberg cell		A type of cell that appears in patients with Hodgkin's disease. The number of these cells increases as the disease advances.
Referred pain		A pain felt in a part of the body remote from the site where pain originates.
Reflex		An involuntary response to a stimulus.
Reflex, deep tendon		Contraction of a muscle in response to tapping the tendon or guider with a reflex hammer; it requires intact sensory nerve supply to transmit the stretching of receptors in the muscle, and intact motor nerve supply for the muscle to contract.
Reflux		Backflow or regurgitation.
Reflux esophagitis		The backflow of gastric acid from the stomach to the lower esophagus, owing to a defect in the valve that separates them.
Refractory		Not yielding, as in a condition that resists treatment or a nerve or muscle that resists stimulation.
Refrigerant		A substance which is cooling and can reduce fever.
Regional (lymph nodes)		Adjacent, immediately filtering cells (notably bacteria, viruses and cancer cells) from the lymph returning from a site of disease.
Regression		The state of growing smaller or disappearing; used to describe the shrinkage or disappearance of a cancer.
Regular insulin		A type of insulin that is fast acting.
Regulator		A substance that helps balance and regulate the functions of the body.
Regurgitation		Backward flow.
Rehabilitation		The treatment for an injury or illness aimed at restoring physical abilities.
Rehydration		The treatment for dehydration (an abnormally low level of water in the body) in which levels are restored by taking fluids containing water, salt, and glucose by mouth or, if severe, through a vein.
Reiter's syndrome		A disorder characterized by inflammation of the joints, urethra, and sometimes the conjunctiva.
Rejection		Refusal to accept, as with a transplanted organ.
Relapse		Recurrence of disease or symptoms after apparent recovery.
Relaxant		A substance which is soothing, causing relaxation, releiving strain, stress or tension.
Relaxin		A hormone produced during pregnancy which relaxes the pelvic ligaments and other joints in the body.
REM Sleep	Rapid Eye Movement sleep	The period of sleep known as rapid eye movement sleep, when dreaming seems to occur.
Remission		Disappearance of a cancer by clinical evaluation and/or resolution of symptoms from the cancer.
Remission induction chemotherapy		The initial chemotherapy a patient with acute leukemia receives to bring about a remission.
Remote brachytherapy		See High dose rate remote brachytherapy.
Renal		Pertaining to the kidneys.
Renal capsule		The fibrous connective tissue that surrounds each kidney.
Renal cell carcinoma		The most common type of kidney cancer.
Renal colic		A severe pain on one side of the lower back, usually as a result of a kidney stone.
Renal failure		The inability of the kidneys to excrete wastes, concentrate urine and maintain electrolyte balance.
Renal pelvis		The area at the center of the kidney. Urine collects here and is funneled into the ureter.
Renal threshold	Kidney threshold, Spilling point, Leak point	The level of glucose in the blood at which point some glucose "spills" into the urine.
Renal tubular acidosis		The inability of the kidneys to remove sufficient amounts of acid from the body, making the blood more acidic than normal.
Renin		Hormone released by the kidney that helps regulate blood pressure.
Reperfusion		Resumption of blood flow.
Repetitive strain injury		An injury that occurs when the same movement is repeated continuously.
Reproductive system		The organs and structures that allow men and women to have sexual intercourse and produce children.
Resection		Surgical removal of an organ or tissue.
Resident physician		A licensed physician who is participating in a postgraduate specialty training program.
Resinoids		A perfumery material prepared from natural resinous matter, such as balsams, gum resins, etc., by extraction with a hydrocarbon type of solvent.
Resin		Complex chemicals, usually hard, transparent or translucent.
Resolvent		A substance which disperses swelling, or effects absorption of a new growth.
Respiration		Breathing.
Respirator		Ventilator.
Respiratory arrest		A condition in which a person suddenly stops breathing.
Respiratory distress		Pathological increase in the effort and frequency of breathing movements.
Respiratory distress syndrome		A condition experienced after an illness or injury damages the lungs, causing severe breathing difficulty and resulting in a life-threatening lack of oxygen in the blood.
Respiratory failure		The failure of the body to exchange gases properly, which leads to a buildup of carbon dioxide and a lack of oxygen in the blood.
Respiratory system		The organs that are involved in breathing. These include the nose, throat, larynx, trachea, bronchi, and lungs.
Respiratory therapy		Exercises and treatments that help patients recover lung function, such as after surgery.
Resting pulse		The pulse rate when a person is not experiencing any physical activity or mental stress.
Restorative		A substance that helps strengthen and revive body systems.
Resuscitation		Revival of breathing or heartbeat after cessation or apparent death.
Reticulocyte		An immature red blood cell.
Retina		Light-sensitive layer of tissue located at the back of the eye that transmits visual images to the brain.
Retinal artery occlusion		An obstruction of an artery that supplies blood to the retina, resulting in some degree of temporary or permanent blindness.
Retinitis pigmentosa		A gradual loss of the field of vision, owing to a degeneration of the light-sensitive nerve cells of the retina.
Retinoblastoma		A hereditary, cancerous tumor of the retina affecting infants and children.
Retinoid		A substance resembling vitamin A that is used to treat skin conditions such as acne and has been reported to reduce skin wrinkling.
Retinopathy		Abnormality of the retina that may cause deterioration of eyesight.
Retinoscopy		A method of determining focusing errors of the eye in which light is shined through the pupil and the reflected beam is measured.
Retractor		A surgical instrument for holding back tissue which would otherwise obscure the surgeon's view.
Retrobulbar neuritis		Neuritis of the portion of the optic nerve behind the eyeball. The main symptom is acute loss of vision in one or both eyes. Pain may be absent or it may be unbearable, lasting for only a brief period or for days. This type of neuralgia may be caused by a variety of illnesses, but in adults it is most frequently associated with multiple sclerosis.
Retrognathia		Backwards displacement of the lower jaw.
Retrograde pyelogram		Radiographic imaging of the ureters and collecting system of the kidneys by introducing a dye opaque to xrays by way of a urinary catheter.
Retroperitoneal space		The potential space just behind the visceral peritoneum.
Retropubic prostatectomy		Surgical removal of the prostate through an incision in the abdomen.
Retroviruses		A group of viruses that are made up of RNA instead of DNA, including HIV and the virus that causes T-cell leukemia.
Revulsive		A pain releiver that works by means of the diversion of blood or disease from one part of the body to another. See Counter-irritant.
Reye's syndrome		A rare disorder mainly affecting those under the age of 15 that is characterized by brain and liver damage following a viral infection such as chickenpox or the flu; may be linked to taking aspirin to treat a viral infection.
Rh blood group		A blood group classifying whether the substances called Rhesus (Rh) factors are present on the surface of red blood cells; the "positive" or "negative" designation in blood classification (for example, "O negative").
Rh factor		A protein found in the blood serum of people who are Rh-positive.
Rheumatic fever		An inflammatory illness that may follow streptococcal infection and damage the heart valves.
Rheumatism		An older term, used to describe any of a number of painful conditions of muscles, tendons, joints, and bones
Rheumatoid arthritis		A condition in which joints in the body become inflamed, stiff, painful, and sometimes deformed because of the body's own immune system attacking the tissues.
Rheumatoid factors		Antibodies that are present in about 80% of people with rheumatoid arthritis; their detection through blood testing can help to diagnose the disorder.
Rheumatoid nodules		Firm lumps in the skin of patients with rheumatoid arthritis that usually occur in pressure points of the body, most commonly the elbows
Rh immunoglobulin		A substance used to prevent a woman who is Rh incompatible with her fetus from becoming Rh sensitized.
Rh incompatibility		A condition in which a pregnant woman's Rh factor does not match that of the fetus; can lead to the production of antibodies by the mother that destroy the fetus' red blood cells.
Rhinectomy, total		Surgical removal of the whole nose.
Rhinitis		An inflammation of the mucous membrane lining the nose, which can cause sneezing, runny nose, congestion, and pain; when caused by substances in the air, it is called allergic rhinitis or hay fever.
Rhinophyma		A bulb-shaped deformity and redness of the nose as a result of severe rosacea.
Rhinoplasty	Nose job	Surgery that changes the structure of the nose, either to improve appearance or to correct a deformity or injury.
Rhinovirus		A large subgroup of viruses (probably more than 100) that cause the common cold.
Rhizome		Root-like, horizontal-growing stem growing just below the surface of the soil.
Rh sensitized		A condition in which a woman who has a negative Rh factor develops permanent antibodies against Rh-positive blood as a result of exposure to the blood of her fetus; can cause fetal hemolysis in subsequent pregnancies.
Rythm method		A method of preventing pregnancy in which a couple does not have sexual intercourse during the days of the menstrual cycle during which fertilization can occur.
Riboflavin		A vitamin belonging to the vitamin B complex that is important in many processes in the body and helps to maintain healthy skin.
Rickets		A childhood disease in which bones lack calcium and are deformed as a result of vitamin D deficiency (vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium)
Right heart failure		Decreased function of the right ventricle resulting in swelling in the legs and abdominal organs, especially the liver (see Congestive heart failure).
Rigidity	Guarding	"Involuntary contraction of the abdominal musculature [muscles]". Also known as Guarding, this indicates pain or tenderness to the examining physician.
Rigor mortis		The stiffness that occurs in the body after death.
Ringworm		A skin infection caused by a fungus that spreads out in an even circle, characterized by ring-like, scaly patches of red skin.
Rinne's test		A test that uses a tuning fork to diagnose hearing loss resulting from poor conduction of sound from the outer to the inner ear.
Risk factor		A factor that increases the chance of developing or aggravating a condition.
Risk/benefit ratio		The relation between the risks and benefits of a given treatment or procedure. Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) (located where the study is to take place) determine that the risks in a study are reasonable with respect to the potential benefits. It is also up to the patient to decide if it is reasonable for him or her to take part in a study.
RNA	Ribonucleic acid	Complex protein chemical in genes that determines the type of life form into which a cell will develop.
Rocky mountain spotted fever		Arare disease transmitted to humans through the bites of ticks; characterized by small pink spots on the wrists and ankles that spread to other parts of the body, become larger, and bleed.
Rods		Long, slender structures within the retina that perceive faint light. Also, rod-shaped bacteria (bacilli).
Rosacea		A skin disorder that is characterized by patches of red skin on the nose and cheeks and acne-like bumps; most commonly occurs in middle-aged women.
Roseola infantum		A common disease in young children characterized by a sudden fever and rash.
Rosette		Leaves which are closely arranged in a spiral.
Rotator cuff		A structure made up of four muscle tendons that reinforces the shoulder joint.
Roundworm		A group of worms that includes many of the major human parasites.
Roughage		Indigestible fiber of fruits, vegetables and cereals.
Rubefacient		A substance which reddens skin by increasing blood supply to it.
Rubella	German measles	A highly contagious viral disease marked by a red, eruptive rash.
Rubeola		Measles.
Rupture		Tearing of tissue (as in a hernia) or disruption of an organ.
Ruptured membranes		A leak or breakage in the amniotic sac (bag of waters) resulting in a steady flow of clear, pink, or greenish-brown fluid from the vagina.

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